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Solar Control Glass for Gulf South Windows

Keep the heat outside with Solar Elite glass.
Home / Solar Control Glass for Gulf South Windows

In a Louisiana summer, the sun coming through your windows does more than light a room. It heats it. That solar heat is a big reason some rooms stay warmer than the rest of the house, why the A/C keeps running into the evening, and why the sofa by the window fades faster than the one across the room.

Solar Elite Glass is how LAS addresses that problem at the glass. Powered by Cardinal® Quad LoĒ®-452+, a four-layer Low-E coating developed for hot, sunny climates, keeps unwanted heat outside, blocks 99% of UV rays, keeps your views clear and neutral, and helps the outside of your windows stay cleaner with less effort.

LAS has been manufacturing windows in the Gulf South since the 1950s. After evaluating the options, we chose this glass because it balances solar control, clarity, and UV protection for the climate we live in. Our windows are built locally, installed by our own crews, and made for local conditions, not shipped in from a national supplier.

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What is Solar Elite Glass?

Solar Elite Glass is the LAS glass package built around Cardinal® Quad LoĒ®-452+ glass, with a Neat+™ self-cleaning coating on the exterior surface. It is available on our WeatherGard II windows.

Low-E glass has a microscopically thin metallic coating that reflects heat while letting visible light through. Coating materials vary across the market, but Quad LoĒ®-452+ is a true four-layer silver coating, which gives it very low emissivity and strong solar control without a heavy tint. "Quad" refers to those four coating layers, not four panes of glass. Your window is still a dual-pane, argon-filled insulated glass unit.

Benefits of Solar Elite Glass

Keeps unwanted heat out for a more comfortable home

Offers clear, neutral views with low exterior reflectivity

Blocks 99% of UV rays to help protect your floors and fabrics

Easy-cleaning coating keeps your windows cleaner, longer

How solar control glass works

Sunlight reaches your windows as three kinds of energy: ultraviolet (UV) light, which fades fabrics and flooring; visible light, which is what you see by; and infrared energy, which is most of the heat you feel.

Solar control glass is designed to separate those three. Solar Elite Glass has a coating of four microscopically thin layers of silver, applied to the glass and sealed inside the insulated unit. Those layers reflect much of the sun's heat and UV back outside while letting visible light pass through. The glass blocks most of the heat and 99% of the UV rays, and you still get daylight and a clear view.

Here is what a few key terms mean for your home:

  • Low-E (low emissivity) glass has a thin metallic coating that reflects heat energy while letting visible light pass through. Different coatings control heat in different ways. Solar control Low-E, like Quad LoĒ®-452+, is designed to keep the sun's heat out.
  • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how much of the sun's heat passes through the glass, on a scale from 0 to 1. A lower SHGC means less heat entering your home.
  • U-factor measures how well a window resists heat moving through it because of the temperature difference between inside and outside. A lower U-factor means better insulation.
  • Visible light transmittance (VT) measures how much visible light comes through. A higher number means a brighter room. Glass that blocks more heat generally lets in somewhat less light, so a good glass package balances the two.

For a deeper look at how these ratings work together in a hot climate, read our guide to energy-efficient windows and our ENERGY STAR ratings.

Glass performance

Here is how Solar Elite Glass compares to clear glass and to LAS standard glass, Cardinal® LoĒ³-366. Lower U-factor, SHGC, and UV numbers are better; a higher visible light number means a brighter room.

Glass Type U-Factor SHGC Visible Light UV Transmitted
Clear glass (dual-pane) 0.46 0.78 82% 58%
Cardinal® LoĒ³-366 (LAS standard glass) 0.24 0.27 65% 5%
Solar Elite Glass (Cardinal® Quad LoĒ®-452+) 0.24 0.22 52% 1%

(Source: Cardinal Glass Industries.)

Total window performance

Ratings for the complete window tell you how the glass, frame, and spacer perform together. For an LAS fixed picture window with dual-pane Solar Elite Glass, the NFRC-certified ratings are:

  • U-Factor 0.25: Helps keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter
  • Solar Heat Gain Coefficient 0.17: Lower solar heat gain helps reduce the heat entering your home and lowers cooling costs
  • Visible Light Transmittance 0.41: Allows natural light in so you can enjoy bright living spaces

For comparison, the ENERGY STAR Southern Region requirement is a U-factor of 0.32 or lower and an SHGC of 0.23 or lower. Actual performance varies by window style and installation.

Keeping more heat outside

Low solar heat gain matters most where the sun hits hardest: a west-facing living room, a kitchen with afternoon sun, a sunroom, or a wall of large picture windows. The less solar heat that passes through the glass, the less your air conditioning has to remove.

Glass is one part of the picture. How your windows are oriented, whether they are shaded, and how well they are installed all affect how comfortable your home feels. Your savings will also depend on your home's size and your current windows. Our estimators can walk through your home's exposures with you, and our guide to house orientation and energy conservation covers the basics.

Should I choose Solar Elite Glass or standard glass?

Windows with our standard glass already exceed ENERGY STAR Southern Region requirements and are a strong choice for many homes. Solar Elite is for homeowners who want to go further on solar control, UV protection, and low-maintenance glass.

Solar Elite Glass may be a good fit if your home:

  • Has rooms that take direct afternoon sun, especially west- and south-facing exposures
  • Has large picture windows or other big expanses of glass
  • Has furniture, flooring, or artwork you want to protect from fading
  • Would benefit from exterior glass that stays cleaner between washes

Not sure which is right? Our team can look at your home's exposures and recommend the right glass for your project, or find more details about each benefit below.

Protect your home

The same sun that heats your rooms also fades them. Solar Elite Glass blocks 99% of UV rays, which helps protect the things you have invested in:

  • Carpets and rugs
  • Furniture and cabinets
  • Artwork and photographs
  • Curtains and other fabrics

Fading has more than one cause. Visible light and heat contribute alongside UV, so no glass can stop it entirely. But reducing both UV and solar heat gives your interiors meaningfully more protection than clear glass.

White Gulf South home with tall solar control glass windows overlooking a paver patio and covered outdoor living area

 

Clear views and natural light

A good glass package should not make your home feel like it is behind sunglasses. Solar Elite Glass is designed to look neutral in transmission and reflection, with low exterior reflectivity, so it does not look mirrored from the street and complements brick, siding, stucco, and trim in any color.

All Low-E glass does look slightly different than plain clear glass. Solar Elite has a subtle neutral gray tone and lets in somewhat less visible light than our standard glass, though it still passes more than half of the visible light. If brightness and view are top priorities, our team can talk through how the options look in a home like yours.

Glass that stays cleaner with less effort

Neat+™ is a coating applied to the exterior surface of the glass during manufacturing, and it comes standard with Quad LoĒ®-452+. It works with the weather:

  • Sunlight helps break down organic dirt on the glass
  • Rainwater helps rinse dirt and dust away, with water sheeting off the surface
  • The result is cleaner glass and a clearer view with less scrubbing

Neat+ is not a replacement for occasional cleaning, and it works best when the glass gets sun and rain.

Built into a window made for the Gulf South

Glass performs only as well as the window frame around it. Solar Elite Glass is available on our WeatherGard II vinyl windows, which are manufactured locally and built for Gulf South heat and humidity:

  • Multi-chambered vinyl frames with steel-reinforced sash rails for strength and to reduce heat transfer through the frame
  • Argon-filled, dual-pane glass units for added insulation
  • Custom manufacturing to each opening, within 1/8", for a tighter fit than stock sizing
  • Professional installation by LAS crews, with OSI Quad Max caulking and foam insulation for a sealed, finished result
Solar Control Glass for Gulf South Windows Gallery View Window Gallery

Ready to see what Solar Elite Glass can do for your home?

LAS has been building windows for Gulf South homes since the 1950s, and we keep raising our own bar because the people buying our windows are our neighbors. Solar Elite Glass is the latest example: a glass package chosen for the heat, sun, and humidity we live with every day.

Request a free, no-obligation estimate to learn how Solar Elite Glass could help your home stay more comfortable.

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Frequently asked questions about Solar Elite Glass

What is Solar Elite Glass?
Solar Elite Glass is built on Cardinal® Quad LoĒ®-452+ Low-E glass with a Neat+™ self-cleaning exterior coating. It is designed to reject solar heat, block 99% of UV rays, and keep views clear, all while helping the outside of your windows stay cleaner.
Is Solar Elite Glass the same as Low-E glass?
Solar Elite Glass is a type of Low-E glass. "Low-E" describes any glass with a low-emissivity coating. Solar Elite uses a four-layer coating designed for strong solar control in hot, sunny climates.
Does "quad" mean the window has four panes of glass?
No. "Quad" refers to the four layers of silver in the Low-E coating. Your window is still a dual-pane insulated glass unit with two panes of glass and argon gas between them.
How is Solar Elite Glass different from LAS standard glass?
Solar Elite has a lower SHGC (0.22 versus 0.27 for the glass alone), blocks 99% of UV rays, and includes a Neat+™ coating for cleaner glass. It also has a subtle gray tone and lets in somewhat less visible light.
Will Solar Elite Glass make my rooms darker?
It lets in somewhat less visible light than standard glass, but it still passes more than half of the visible light. It is designed to look clear and neutral rather than heavily tinted. Our team can help you compare options for your home.
Will it stop my furniture and floors from fading?
It helps. Solar Elite blocks 99% of UV rays and reduces solar heat, two major contributors to fading. Visible light also plays a role, so no window can stop fading completely.
Do I still need to clean my windows with Neat+?
Yes, occasionally. Neat+ helps sunlight and rain keep the exterior glass cleaner, so you may need to clean less often and with less effort, but it does not make glass maintenance-free.